We have been in New Orleans for 5 days now and we have seen so much, the most striking to me is the resilient spirit of a city that’s been through so much. As we toured the lower 9th Ward, the area most devastated by Katrina, I saw a place that has no momentum. It is sparse to say the least, as a block that once had 20 houses on it now hosts 3. There are still large deposits of waste with whole lots composed of consolidated destruction. As we drove through what hit me hardest was not the trash or vacant lots but how there is no current construction—not a single project. I have difficulty believing it will ever resemble the neighborhood it was before the storm.
In contrast to this dreary picture, I remember standing on the levy that broke with our group. I was taking pictures of the landscape and one of the residents saw me and raised his arms in an exuberant gesture; characteristic of a man who, despite the tragedy, refuses to let Katrina define him. Defiant. Resilient. Proud.
As our trip moved on, the same spirit personified by that man in the lower 9th proved evident everywhere we went. It’s in the organizations that we’re working with. It’s in the 12 piece brass bands that play on the sides of the street. It’s in the warm, welcoming personality of the city. It’s an encompassing and contagious spirit that one can’t help but learn from and hope to emulate.
-jamie hollerith
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